


Ways of Revenge

by psychicdreamsandangelwings



Series: The Things You Fight For [2]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Biology Inaccuracies, M/M, Made Up Science/Technology Shit, Non-Graphic Violence, Original Character(s), Police Officer Rick Grimes, Superhero Daryl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8441467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychicdreamsandangelwings/pseuds/psychicdreamsandangelwings
Summary: Daryl's just getting used to his superpowers, and the task force created to help fight super villains, when a new threat emerges that no one is prepared to deal with. Bodies start showing up in dark alleyways with their heads bashed in and their faces unrecognizable. With a new serial killer emerging and no evidence or obvious link between the victims, the police department has no leads and a growing sense of panic amongst the citizens. Daryl's team is asked to weigh in on the case and he soon finds himself in the middle of a deadly game he might not make it out of alive.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Believe it or not, this was actually inspired by the season seven premiere. I got this image in my head that I immediately wanted to write, but I didn't want to do anything heartbreaking. Turns out, I'm almost completely incapable of writing anything that isn't angsty and this will eventually contain a fair share. 
> 
> I promise there will be no spoilers for the season seven premiere and if that changes I will clearly mark it so there's no risk of anyone finding out what happened (though if you managed to avoid all spoilers you just might be God). Characters and tags will be added as the story moves along and keep in mind the rating may change as everything progresses.
> 
> Technically this is a sequel to Way of Initiation but it could probably be read as a standalone. I'm pretty excited for this fic and I'm hoping you guys will like it.

“Who’s tha' bitch destroying downtown this time?” Daryl says, dropping from the sky to land next to Paladin. The force of the impact cracks the pavement under Daryl’s feet but he can’t focus on that now. Not when there’s much more pressing matters to attend to, like the villain currently causing havoc.

Daryl extends his hand and helps Paladin up from where he’s lying on the ground. There’s a body sized crater in the building next to them and Daryl can only assume he had been thrown into it. Good thing he was practically indestructible, a hit like that would hurt like hell but it definitely wouldn’t kill him.

“Not sure,” Paladin says. He’s dressed in his usual makeshift attire, white spandex suit with a matching helmet and visor that covers his eyes. It’s not much of a suit and does nothing to really protect him, but one can’t really blame him for that. They haven’t been doing this for very long.

“Jumper and Cryo have been here longer than I have,” Paladin says, “but they still haven’t made any progress. Cryo just hooked up with the fire department to help put out the fires caused by the explosions. I was with them, but she hit me with some power that had me flying through the air. Whoever she is, she’s a tough one to crack. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“Great,” Daryl says sarcastically, sighing heavily. He looks Paladin up and down quickly, making sure there’s no noticeable damage that’ll prevent him from fighting, before he grips him underneath his arms and takes to the air. “I jus'  _love_ a good challenge. Why do villains have ta' be so good at ruining shit?”

Daryl flies the two of them towards where the latest threat is terrorizing the city. Paladin laughs heartily as Daryl takes in the amount of damage the woman has managed to cause in less than twenty minutes. The streets are pretty much devoid of life, with burning cars and crumbling buildings lining the sidewalk. He gets why Cryo had left to help the fire department, everything is just one giant shitfest.

“She’s calling herself Achilles,” Paladin explains, “and she’s completely bat shit crazy.”

“What the fuck is an Achilles?” Daryl asks, trying to pick up the speed. He flies a little higher, hoping to get a better aerial view of the ground below them. The destruction stretches out for multiple blocks and veers off in different directions, it’s a lot more difficult than he had originally thought it was going to be to locate the source.

“Do I look like I know?” Paladin asks. “I think Jumper recognized what it is but she didn’t have enough time to tell me before Achilles blasted me back.”

“Lovely,” Daryl mutters under his breath, starting to get impatient and a little worried. “You said she’s crazy? Crazy how?”

“Well,” Paladin says, gazing downwards. Not that he can really see what’s going on from how high up they are, that was Daryl’s power, but he would be able to spot the signs that Jumper is nearby. “She keeps talking about brain waves, how she wants to play with the prettiest ones. Apparently that’s what she’s looking for.”

“Seriously?” Daryl asks. “She needs ta' destroy the city to look fo' pretty brain waves?”

“I’m telling you,” he says, looking up at Daryl, “bat shit crazy.”

“We can work with crazy. What’s her power?” Daryl asks, searching the streets for any sign of the fight. “Anyway a' stopping her?”

“It’s something to do with her head,” Paladin explains. “She’s got some kind of mind power that lets her blow things up without even touching them. She also seems to be completely indestructible, everything we’ve hit her with so far has done nothing to subdue her. If we don’t figure out something soon we’re going to be fucked.”

“Fuckin' hell,” Daryl curses. “Why do the crazy ones always get the best powers?”

“The world hates us,” Paladin says dismissively, narrowing his eyes. “I can’t be sure but I think I saw a flash of silver over there by the bank. It could be Jumper.”

“Ya can’t see shit,” Daryl says, teasing, as he focuses his attention in the direction that Paladin had pointed. Sure enough, Jumper appears after a second or two with her arms wrapped tightly around what Daryl assumes is Achilles.

Jumper hovers about thirty feet above ground, her arms still wrapped tightly around Achilles, before she lets go and drops the woman. Achilles hits the sidewalk hard, a fall that would seriously injure most people. She stays down for a few seconds before she jumps up, not even a scratch on her. Achilles lifts her hands up towards where Jumper is hovering. In another flash of silver Jumper disappears, barely missing the explosion that occurs where she had been only moments before.

“Did she just cause an explosion in _thin_ _air_?” Daryl says incredulously.

“Yeah, we’re still trying to figure that one out.”

“She’s kinda a bad ass,” Daryl says, diving towards where Achilles is currently fighting with Jumper. “I might even admire her if she weren't tryin' ta' destroy the city.”

 Before Daryl can land a gust of wind carrying Tempest whips through the area, bringing the hero as close to Daryl as it can. “Heya Crossbow, did you miss me?”

 “Why the fuck are ya here?” Daryl asks, dropping Paladin once he’s close enough to the ground he won’t break any bones. He hovers in midair and turns towards the newcomer. “We don’ need ya here.”

“Now, now,” Tempest says. “Let’s not be salty about anything, we’re all here for the same thing.”

The two of them land at the same time and turn towards where Achilles and Jumper are fighting. “Get lost,” Daryl growls, quickly heading towards the fight. “Like I said, we got this handled.”

"Cool it,” Paladin says, taking off after Daryl. “We have no idea how to subdue her, we need him.”

"Whatever,” Daryl says, shaking his head. “Just don’ get in the way, some of my arrows have a mind of their own.”

“We’ve talked about this,” Paladin says, only somewhat joking, as he assesses the situation in front of them. “Rick would kill me if I let your temper get the best of you.”

“Well,” Daryl says with a half-smile, “I can’ make any promises.” Daryl takes off in to the air so he can search for a good vantage point.

“Always a pleasure,” Tempest says, taking off with Paladin towards where Achilles and Jumper are still fighting each other.

Jumper is keeping Achilles busy by forcing her to put effort into locating her. She’ll disappear for a few seconds, only to reappear shortly afterwards in an entirely different location. It seems to be working, the constant movement makes it hard for Achilles to focus properly and Daryl can tell by the way she’s acting that it’s starting to get to her. Achilles is frustrated, focusing all her energy on Jumper rather than destroying the town, and that works in their favor. Frustrated people make mistakes, they get sloppy. That makes their job easier.

Jumper is fast, much faster than she had been when they had first started fighting with each other, and Achilles can’t catch up with her. Her agility makes it damn near impossible for Achilles’ explosions to hit Jumper. By the time the energy flies through Achilles’ hands, Jumper is in an entirely different place. And Achilles, who Daryl is beginning to see acts rather childlike, is definitely pissed off.

“This isn’t fun anymore,” Achilles pouts, sending another blast of energy towards Jumper. “You’re just making me mad.”

Jumper’s tactic works well. Paladin, Daryl, and Jumper have fought a lot together. He’s not really sure how it began exactly, it’s still kind of a blur. After the explosion that rocked the city and gave people special powers, crime skyrocketed higher than it ever had before. The police had problems subduing some criminals, they weren’t used to fighting people with superpowers, which lead to ordinary people who had also been affected by the explosion jumping in to help.

That’s how Daryl had met Paladin and Jumper. They all three often ended up in the same spot, forcing them to work together to take down the threat. Eventually those chance encounters turned into them forming a team of sorts. They worked together, they trusted each other, and they knew they could always count on the other person. In just a few short months Daryl had found a groove with them, something he wasn’t able to find anywhere else.

That’s why he’s so familiar with Jumper’s tactic right now, he’s seen her use it multiple time before and it’s always successful. Unfortunately, it takes a huge toll on her. Even those who are genetically altered by explosions have their limits and she can’t keep this up forever. Daryl doesn’t know how long she’s been at this, but it’s obvious she’s dead on her feet and ready to drop any second. That’s dangerous for her and for them.

Daryl starts to circle overhead, keeping an eye out for his opening, as Tempest and Paladin start hauling ass towards where Achilles and Jumper are. A look of relief crosses her face when Tempest and Paladin show up and she smiles when she sees Daryl circling overhead.

Achilles obviously senses the shift in power and her attention instantly switches from Jumper to the new heroes. In a soft pop and a flash of silver, Jumper disappears only to reappear standing next to Paladin a few seconds later. Daryl moves so he’s hovering slightly above the three of them on the ground. The four heroes form a force to be reckoned with.

“It’s time to end this,” Paladin says, trying to make his voice sound strong and powerful. Daryl thinks he sounds ridiculous and Achilles must think the same thing because she doesn’t pay him any mind.

“Wow,” she says, eyes lighting up like a kid in a candy store as she sets her sights on Tempest. She steps forward, hand outstretched, with a look of absolute intrigue on her face. “What a pretty brain, I wanna play with it.”

Tempest lifts his hands up and shoots a huge gust of wind at Achilles, hoping to knock her off her feet. Only, the blast ricochets off a force field Achilles manages to create and knocks the four of them back. Daryl grabs on to a pole sticking off the side of the building, making it so he doesn’t fly too far back, and Tempest creates a gust a wind that keeps him from moving very far.

Paladin and Jumper aren’t so lucky and both of them end up flying a few blocks away. Jumper manages to disappear before she slams into an apartment complex. Paladin, unable to stop his descent, stiffens his body and crashes hard into a department store opposite the apartment complex.  

Tempest rights himself and lands in front of Achilles, trying to figure out what to do next. Daryl watches Achilles as her eyes narrow and all her focus concentrates on Tempest. He doesn’t like the way she looks at him, he’s got a weird feeling in the pit of stomach. He opens his mouth to scream at Tempest, trying to warn him, but he’s too late.

Suddenly Tempest screams, a blood curdling scream that reverberates through the street, and his hands go up to cover his head. Thunder echoes above them and lightening lights up the sky as dark clouds swiftly move over head, threatening to open up on top of them. Tempest falls to the ground, curled up in a ball, and continues to scream as the weather shifts drastically.

Jumper appears next to Daryl with a soft pop and a flash of silver, bringing Paladin with her. “Get him!” Paladin yells, trying to run towards Tempest only to be pushed back by a force field Achilles erects.

Jumper disappears, intending to reappear on the other side of the force field, but reappears only seconds later. “I can’t get through,” she says, panting heavily. “I can’t get to him.”

“And you won’t,” Achilles says, addressing the three of them. “I like him, he’s mine now. His brain is pretty and I want to play with it.”

Daryl curses and takes off to the air, trying to find a break in the force field. Paladin and Jumper whisper to each other, trying to figure out what to do, as Daryl narrows his eyes and focuses on the force field. It seems to surround the two of them, forming a completely solid dome that doesn’t allow for any interference.

Achilles seems confidant that the three of them won’t be able to break through, if the way she ignores them to focus her attention on Tempest is anything to go by. He’s still on the ground, curled up as tight as ever, and screaming his head off. He doesn’t know what Achilles plans on doing to Tempest, but he knows it can’t be good.

Daryl doesn’t trust Tempest, he makes him nervous and he doesn’t particularly like the mysterious figure either. Daryl’s fought alongside Paladin and Jumper for months now, they’ve worked together more times than Daryl can count, and they even know each other’s secret identities. Tempest, on the other hand, has only shown up a handful of times. Daryl doesn’t have him figured out yet, doesn’t trust him enough to let down his guard like he has to when he fights with a team.

But that doesn’t mean he wants him to die.

Suddenly, Tempest stops screaming and the area goes eerily quiet. That does nothing to calm Daryl’s fears. If anything, the fact that he’s no longer screaming worries him even more. Especially considering the fact that Achilles has not backed away. Daryl watches Achilles crouch down next to Tempest and he knows he has to act quickly.

Daryl flies a little higher, checking for any chink in the force field. Now that Achilles is splitting her attention between Tempest and the force field, the latter is starting to shake a little bit. Daryl goes to investigate a spark he sees in the northern most corner. Sure enough, there’s a tiny hole in the force field forming that’s just big enough for one of his arrows to squeeze through.

Daryl moves back a little, aiming at Achilles’ leg, and fires. He hopes that aiming at her leg will throw her off enough for her to drop the force field. If it’s dropped, Jumper will be able to swoop in and get Tempest away before she can really fuck up his head. His plan, as it turns out, works a little too well.

Daryl’s arrow imbeds itself in Achilles’ thigh, exactly where he had been aiming. He doesn’t expect it to do much, Paladin had already told him how difficult it was going to be for them to subdue her. He never thought it would hurt her, just enrage her enough to drop the force field so they could get Tempest to safety.

The second Daryl’s arrow touches her, Achilles drops to the floor. The force field falls instantaneously and Jumper is next to Tempest in a matter of seconds. They disappear as Paladin runs towards where Achilles is, preparing to fight her off, and Daryl drops to the ground next to him.

Only, she doesn’t move. Achilles lays emotionless on the ground, blood seeping from the wound on her thigh and pooling beneath her leg. After a few seconds the two of them take a few steps towards her, expecting her to jump up at any time. Only, she still doesn’t move.

Daryl pokes her with his crossbow, expecting her to come up swinging. Only, once again, she doesn’t move. Daryl drops to a knee beside her, checking for a pulse. He feels nothing. He gently pushes her over so she’s lying on her back and is struck by how lifeless her eyes are. He kicks her softly with his boot, expecting her to get up.

Only, she doesn’t move.

* * *

Later that night, Daryl’s sitting at the table with his laptop open in front of him. He’s been staring at the screen for a few minutes now, unable to shake the look of Achilles’ lifeless body. It didn’t matter how many people told him she was the villain. It didn’t matter how many people told him that he had saved Tempest’s life. It didn’t matter how many people told him he had protected the city. It didn’t matter how many people told him that there was no way he could have known. He had still killed someone.

Rick takes a seat across the table from him, looking at Daryl in a way that makes him slightly uncomfortable. He’s reading him, trying to get a feel for the situation, but Daryl doesn’t want Rick’s eyes on him. Not like that.

They’re quiet for a couple of minutes, Daryl’s gaze fixed on the computer in front of him and Rick’s gaze fixed on Daryl’s face. Eventually Rick breaks the silence, finally figuring out that Daryl’s not going to talk.

“Are you really sure you want information about her?” Rick asks, probing slightly.

Daryl doesn’t say anything so Rick takes that as confirmation. “Her name was Rowan Johnston, she was a twenty-seven-year-old woman who escaped from Jexer Asylum early today. She was,” Rick says, pausing for a few seconds, “a real piece of work. You saved the lives of so many people, babe, so many.”

“Is that suppose'a make me feel better?” Daryl asks. “That 'er bein' an escaped mental patient hell-bent on destroying the city is suppose'a make the fact that I killed her okay? 'Cause that's bullshit.”

Rick ignores him and continues relaying the information he had gathered. “She was admitted after she tried to kill a fifteen-year-old boy with a bone saw. Apparently she did it because she thought his brain was pretty and she liked the way it looked. She believed she could see brain patterns, some being more desirable than others, and admitted to her doctors she wanted to remove the brains with the pretty patterns to get a better look at them.”

So she was a nut job, clearly, but that didn’t mean she had to die. She was sick, she needed help, not an arrow that would ultimately end her life.

“Shortly after the explosion at the lab gave people superpowers, she told her doctors that she could see the atoms that made up everything around them,” Rick says. “They didn’t believe her, thinking it was just a progression of her delusions, so they didn’t do anything about it. We think her powers stemmed from that; it’s why she was able to cause explosions and manipulate her surroundings.”

The room goes quiet for a minute or so, neither one of them talking, before Daryl breaks the silence. “I killed 'er, Rick,” Daryl says, still refusing to look up at him. “I killed someone.”

“Daryl,” Rick says, pushing the computer out of the way and ducking his head so he can meet Daryl’s eyes, “she was a major threat. She killed three people at the asylum during her escape. She killed five more citizens and destroyed half the city after she escaped. She was seconds away from killing Tempest, you saved his life.”

“Tha' don' erase the fact that I still killed 'er,” Daryl says, finally looking up at Rick. He’s not exactly sure what he looks like, but he’s sure he looks like a mess.

“Daryl,” Rick says, “you were aiming at her _thigh._ There’s no way you could have known what was going to happen.”

“Oh yeah?” Daryl asks, turning back towards the laptop in front of him. “The warrior Achilles is one of the great heroes of Greek mythology. According to legend, Achilles was extraordinarily strong, courageous and loyal, but he had one vulnerability – his ‘Achilles heel.’”

Daryl turned the laptop around so Rick could see the article he had been reading. “She named 'erself aft'a nearly invincible Greek warrior, a warrior that could only be killed in one place. She basically told us there was only one spot that could kill her.”

“Even if the legend mattered,” Rick says, “her vulnerable spot wasn’t her heel. It was a different body part. If you had known, you would have avoided her heel and shot her in other areas. There’s no way you could have predicted this outcome.”

Daryl shakes his head, looking back down at the tabletop. He’s fought quite a few bad guys in the months since the explosion had given him powers, some of them quite dangerous, but he had never killed any of them. Daryl didn’t want to be that, he didn’t want to be a killer.

The media was already starting to praise him, to worship him. They claimed he had saved the town and prevented endless death and destruction. Even if it was probably true, and Daryl can admit at least that to himself, he had still murdered someone. Some citizens where starting to call him Killer Crossbow, a name that he wants absolutely nothing to do with. Most of them didn’t seem to care he was now officially a murderer.

“Listen,” Rick says, reaching out to take Daryl’s hand. “I know what it’s like to kill someone and be praised for it.” Rick was referring to that time last year where he was forced to shoot a serial killer the police had cornered. “I hated myself for that, I still kind of do, but what did you tell me?”

“Tha's different,” Daryl says, frowning. He hated having his own words thrown back in his face. “Wit me –”

“With you it’s the same damn thing,” Rick says, cutting Daryl off. “You told me that my work mattered, that I had saved people’s lives. You called me a hero, Daryl. You told me that sometimes, in my line of work, I would have to make shitty choices but it didn’t make me a shitty person. You tried so damn hard to make sure I understood that what happed wasn’t my fault, that I had no other choice but to do what I did. The same goes for you.”

Daryl could see the logic in what Rick was telling him, he could see the truth in his statements. Daryl knew he had done what he had to do. Logically he understood there was nothing else he could have done but morally he was conflicted. Because feelings outweigh logic most days and right now, Daryl hates himself for what he did.

Daryl shrugs and starts fiddling with his thumbs, signaling the end of the conversation.

“Listen,” Rick says, running a hand over his face before he continues. “Hershel and I have been talking recently and he wants to set up a special task force that is solely dedicated to tracking down villains who were affected by the explosion.”

“He wants ta' what?” Daryl asks, slightly shocked.

“Yeah, I was confused at first too but he’s made a lot of good points,” Rick explains. “The police department isn’t really equipped to deal with this kind of stuff and we really don’t want the military or government inserting themselves into the situation. We’ve been trying to come up with a solution and I think Hershel’s plan could work.”

“You can’ jus' start up a special task force outta thin air,” Daryl exclaims. “Tha's not how that works.”

“It’ll be a while before it actually gets up and running,” Rick says, drumming his fingers on the table. “But he’s got the money and the resources to make this happen. I’ve already talked to my chief about it, Deanna’s impressed with the idea and she thinks it’s going to work. She likes what I did with the task force that hunted down Dr. Vector and she wants to see what I can do with something like this, I’m thinking about getting involved. At least in one way or the other.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Daryl points out, “for you and I don’ like a' thought a' that.”

“It’s not any more dangerous than what I already deal with,” Rick counters. “I’d be doing a lot of good, Daryl.”

“Rick,” Daryl says, dragging his name out slightly. He’s fairly certain he knows what Rick is going to ask him and he doesn’t want anything to do with it. “Wha’s this gotta do with me.”

“Funny you should ask,” Rick says, scratching the side of his neck. “They would like to get some heroes in on it as well. It’s very top secret, hardly anyone at all knows about what’s happening, and everything will be tightly controlled. Identities will be the number one priority, no one wants their private information leaked.”

Rick pauses for a second before he starts up again. “I’m not really sure why, they obviously don’t know anything about you, but they’ve put me in charge of the operation for now. I’m gonna head things up on the police side and run investigational interference. They want me to try and reach out to some heroes, get them in on it. Like I said, it’s going to be very top secret. Mainly it’s just a way to give the heroes the help they’re lacking in the form of state of the art gear and technology.”

“Tha' still don't explain how I’m involved in this,” Daryl says, biting at his thumb nail. He’s pretty damn sure he knows what this has to do with him but he’s going to make Rick spell it out anyway.

“Well,” Rick says hesitantly, “you’re a hero and you’ve got connections to other heroes.”

“'m no a hero, Rick,” Daryl says, shaking his head. “I told you that time and time again. 'm just doing what I think is right. And now, I’m a murderer.”

“You are a hero, Daryl,” Rick says, refusing to budge on the topic, “and it scares the shit out of me. I love you, I’m proud of you, but this shit terrifies me. I’m worried out of my mind that something is going to happen and you won’t come home because of it. This task force will make everything easier and safer for you.”

Daryl purses his lips and sits back in his chair. Rick always had to hit him where it hurt. He didn’t like the idea of joining a task force, there were way too many variables he couldn’t control and Daryl definitely didn’t like that. But, like usual, he was able to see the logic in Rick’s words. The last thing he wants is to leave Rick and make their kids lose another parent.

“'ight,” Daryl says, taking a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll think 'bout it. I’ll talk ta' Paladin and Jumper, I’ll even try an' track down Tempest, an' see what they haveta say about it. If I do this, and tha's a IF, I wanna be in on the planning. I wanna know everything – who’s goin' ta' know what, who’s goin' ta' be involved, what the expectations are. Everythin'.”

“Of course, babe,” Rick says, breaking out into a soft smile. “I would never leave you in the dark. This is going to be a good thing, you’ll see.”

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so that happened and we've established I'm shit at writing action scenes. 
> 
> I have a pretty good idea of who I want the superheroes mentioned to be (Paladin, Jumper, etc) but I'm definitely open to suggestions. Tempest is pretty much set in stone, you might even be able to guess who he is, but leave a suggestion for who you would like them to be.
> 
> Come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/starkidjoshler)


End file.
